Even the best movies aren’t immune to the occasional misstep.
Sometimes it’s due to a weak third act that fails to stick the landing. Other times, a great movie takes its time getting out of the starting blocks. Even when a movie succeeds in all three acts, it’s not guaranteed to be without criticisms. Even the best scripts and direction can’t save a good movie from bad performances.
Today we’re talking about some of the worst performances by acclaimed actors in great movies.
Like these films they’re starring in, their resume speaks for itself. Provided you ignore these performances, that is.
Sarah Paulson – All’s Fair
All the talent in the world couldn’t have saved any esteemed actor from appearing in the legal drama featuring Kim Kardashian as the lead, of all people.
Ryan Murphy, who created the American Horror Story franchise and has worked with Paulson many times in the past, unsurprisingly brings her back. However, there’s only so much you can do with a bad script and awful co-stars.
Robert De Niro – The Irishman
Despite the immense amount of hype surrounding The Irishman, it failed to live up to the hype.
There are several reasons for this, mostly its bloated runtime; however, De Niro’s performance was also a reason.
Seeing him trying to play someone in his 20s/30s is just sad. It’s not funny, it’s not entertaining, it’s just…sad.
Don Cheadle – Oceans Eleven
Look, I love the Oceans movies. They’re fun from start to finish, and I can’t wait to see what they do with Ocean’s 14.
One thing I hope they leave behind is Cheadle’s awful British accent. Like, what are we doing here? Cheadle has so much natural charisma, but it all goes out the window because of that stupid accent.
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Cate Blanchett – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
If I were to talk about everything wrong with this movie, we’d be here all day. So I’ll keep it brief and only talk about Cate Blanchett’s character, which also suffers from just an insane, over-the-top, and out-of-place accent.
Then again, this move has zero desire to be grounded in any form of reality, so I guess an over-the-top accent was just what the doctor ordered? Either way, this movie stinks, and no one was capable of redeeming it.
Joaquin Phoenix – Napoleon
It turns out that Joaquin Phoenix isn’t able to turn everything he touches into gold.
It’s a shame, because Ridley Scott was able to get an unforgettable performance out of him in Gladiator. However, if Scott’s recent filmography is any indication, it’s time to give it up.
Phoenix’s performance stands out for being awkward due to having an American accent. Which is weird given that, you know, Napoleon Bonaparte is French, and everyone else in the movie has an accent.
Marion Cotillard – The Dark Knight Rises
Cotillard first collaborated with director Christopher Nolan in 2010’s Inception before she returned to work with the director in the conclusion of The Dark Knight trilogy.
While this was Cotillard’s first introduction to mainstream audiences, she had already become an accomplished actress, even winning an Academy Award in 2006 for her performance in A Good Year.
Her turn as Miranda Tate / Talia al Ghul, however, is the exact opposite. It’s awkward, out of place, and her death scene is indescribably bad.
Robert Pattinson – Twilight
Speaking of Batman movies, let’s talk about the current Bruce Wayne, whose casting raised eyebrows when it was announced. Oh, how wrong we were.
Pattinson is quite the actor, but most people only know him as Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. Which is a shame, as he’s progressed well beyond that and has shown an incredible range and talent. None of that was on display back in the day, though.
To be fair, no one could have done well with that script.
Al Pacino – Jack and Jill
You might be asking yourself: what the heck was Al Pacino thinking with Jack and Jill? He’s bad in it, the movie is bad, and the less said about the film, the better. However, there’s a good reason why Pacino appeared in the film: he needed the money.
Pacino in the past talked about how the film “came at a time in my life that I needed it, because it was after I found out I had no more money. My accountant was in prison, and I needed something quickly. So I took it.”
Sean Connery – Zardoz
Unlike Pacino, I’m pretty sure Connery wasn’t hard up for cash in 1974 when Zadoz was released. There’s no other explanation as to why he’d appear in this absolute mess of a film.
Then again, he’s clearly not even trying. The script did him no favors, sure, but he’s clearly not even trying.
Natalie Portman – Revenge of the Sith
You could honestly pick any of the three Star Wars prequel trilogy, but Portman’s weird and awkward performance in Revenge of the Sith is what stands out the most to me.
I’m not sure what was going on. Again, the script did her no favors, and I’m not sure what George Lucas was thinking behind the camera, but Natalie Portman is beyond talented and should have made this work. Yet her delivery throughout the movie is so awkward, you can’t help but just laugh.
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